Looking for a winter home

[Mollysmom]

Hi all
I've started looking for a place to stay this winter.
Texas is looking good but I know there are lots of places out there !!
I'd love to hear recommendations from you all.
I'd love to be by the ocean, but am more then willing to look at other locations. I want full hookups and it has to be pet friendly.
Thanks for any input !

[retiredhappy]

You might want to rethink on the beach unless you don't mind the possibility of being evacuated for storms. I stay the winter at www.guadaluperiverrvresort.com Lots of things to do: indoor heated pool, pool exercises, cards, bingo, potlucks, etc. You can walk your dog down by the river.

[Paulette]

What about the panhandle of FLA or Alabama (gulf shores) area? And remember your house has wheels, so if a storm is comin in, you can evacuate in which ever direction you need to!

[Birdie]

I spent last Thanksgiving on South Padre Island at one of the Cameron County Parks. (They said no reservations - 1st come 1st serve.) I am planning on returning in September and deciding if I want to winter there this year. There is a KOA campground close to the County Park, too. It is just a few yards from the beach and if you need to go to any of the towns in the 'lower valley' it has good roads. For me, the birding opportunities are great, you can't get enough of the sea, sand, sun, and breeze down there. If that is too close to the water, there are at least a million RV Parks in the area. Towns are Harlingen, La Feria, Benito, Mission, Donna, Brownsville, Mercedes, and Rio Hondo (or Hondo) and a bunch more. Encore properties are there and they are normally good places. But there are so many you might just want to wander around until you find what you like. Good Luck!

I spent Thanksgiving 2008 and the week after here.
Isla Blanca Park
33174 State Park Road 100
South Padre Island, TX 78597
(956) 761-5493

Friends stayed here and highly recommend it. I haven't been there, but the friends are picky.
Paradise RV Park
9099 N Mile 2 West
South Mercedes, TX

[Bethers]

I thought I posted to this? OK, my connection here can be iffy - so will try again.

While I like where Karen's at in the HIll Country - it's not warm enough there for me to want to winter there. Perfect for fall or spring, though. And, as to the storms and evacuations on the coast - they happen during hurricane season, not over the winter which is not hurricane season. I loved where I was in Port Aransas - love the Port A area. I like the Rockport area. And for even better temps the further south area mentioned above is good. Some of the more popular TX places will probably already be filled up for the season - but it never hurts to try them all. They always have some Winter Texans (in the rest of the country those rvers who travel south for the winter are snowbirds, but in TX they are Winter Texans and TX communities cater to them) who can't make it back and cancel and therefore have openings come up.

Good luck on where ever you decide to go - lots of choices out there.

[Pooker]

Trudy -

I can vouch for Beth's area in Port Aransas - the whole area is terrific and the park she was working in was on the water. When Sharon and I visited Beth we had a ball and the dogs loved running around on the beach. I know I should toss in a vote for Southern California, but ya can't beat the Texas shore.

[Mollysmom]

What was the name of the park Beth was at ?
I did think about hurricanes but read that hurricane season ends in November so I wouldn't get in on too much of it !
I hadn't thought about Alabama - I know I looked at that area a few years ago, we were thinking of going there for a vacation. I'll have to look again
Thanks for the suggestions - I'll take all you've got !

[Bethers]

Trudy,
I was at Pioneer Beach Resort in Port Aransas. Sites for the places (including here) that are on the beach or have beach access, are closer together. That didn't bother me at all, expecially in the winter season. The activities there in the winter are wonderful. Always something going on. Monthly rates are also reasonable - well, they have more than one rate, depending on the sites. I was the furthest from the walkway to the beach, but that was fine with me. I was close to the activity center - and I do recommend the activities.

[Cedar518]

Trudy,.. I wintered one year on the gulf coast of Alabama,... highly recommend it.

[sunshinecruiserTN]

Great topic, Trudy.

I'll be in St Mary's GA in Jan/Feb and then will travel down Fl coast until I reach Bluewater RV Resort in the Keys by mid April/May.

[retiredhappy]

A friend and I were thinking of going to the Florida Keys for a few weeks until I checked out the prices - $140 a nite!! Yikes!! Out of my budget. Need to rethink this.

[Barbzeee]

Karen, I checked that out too !!! but did you see they also have a Job opening !!! Might be nice.. your own dock and tiki LOL I've been to the Keyes years ago.. don't remember it being that pricey.... even looked at the price of buying your own space.. cough cough cough.. LOL However, it is a beautiful area.. just driving over that long long bridge.. ewwwwwww...

But if you all decide to go to the Keyes.. Make sure you stop by and say "Hi".. cause maybe.. we could finally have a Florida GTG even if it's just for the day..???? Give it food for thought will ya ????


God Bless
Zeee.....still gasping on prices !!!!

[retiredhappy]

I've pretty much decided to go to somewhere on the Texas gulf coast - less gas and cheaper places. Will probably boondock for at least a week at Port Lavaca - anyone else intereted?

[BirdbyBird]

I am interested in something in Jan and Feb but haven't figured it all out yet.... i work slow.....

[asirimarco]

Care to join us in Mexico?